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Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., has reintroduced the "Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act of 2013," a bill that would set limitations on the size and weight of trucks on the entire National Highway System. "When super-sized tractor-trailers are on the road, they are a threat to drivers and the integrity of our highways and bridges," said Lautenberg. "Closing the loophole that keeps these long, overweight trucks on our National Highway System will protect families and preserve our nation's infrastructure."

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The number of "structurally deficient" bridges in 41 states has fallen since 2007 when a bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, according to the Federal Highway Administration's National Bridge Inventory. Federal policies for improved inventory management are credited for the improvement, and "[t]here has been a renewed focus and increased attention paid to bridges," said the American Society of Civil Engineers' Robert Victor. "But experts warn that if Congress doesn't find the money to continue or increase current funding levels, the number of troubled bridges could start climbing again," the article notes.

Rep. Janice Hahn, D-Calif., is requesting that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee must consider holding a hearing about bridge safety. "I believe that we need to examine our nation’s investment in bridges," Hahn wrote in reference to the collapsed Interstate 5 bridge on the Skagit River in Washington state. "Does [the Moving Ahead for Progress in 21st Century bill] direct bridge funding in the best manner to fix the bridges that need it the most? Or do we need targeted investment?," Hahn wrote. "By holding a hearing focusing on the state of our nation’s bridges, we can begin to address the problem."

Under-ride guards on tractor-trailers are not effective in preventing vehicles from going beneath such trucks during a collision, resulting in about 400 fatalities and 5,000 injuries every year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is researching how to enhance the standards for under-ride guards, and the IIHS is encouraging requiring stronger guards such as those used in Canada.

Outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the next secretary should push Congress toward considering new funding mechanisms for transportation. "The next decisions that will be made by this Congress, by this administration, will have to be bold if we're going to continue our efforts to fix up our roads, keep our highways in a state of good repair, to fix up unsafe bridges," LaHood said. "We need a bold plan, and a bold way to fund it."

Advances in wireless-sensor technology are making bridge sensors affordable and practical, engineers at the University of Maryland say. The devices could avert the kind of bridge collapse that killed 13 and injured 145 on Minnesota's Interstate 35-W five years ago. "We no longer need to roll the dice when it comes to the structural integrity of the nation's highway bridges," said Mehdi Kalantari, a research engineer.